Card-feeding machine



(1N0 Model.)

J. P. GEB. CARD FEEDING MACHINE.

Patented Sept.'21,1897,

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB F. GEE, OF FRANKLIN, MASSACHUSETTS.

CARD-FEEDING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 590,541, datedSeptember 21, 187.

Application filed May 10,1897- serial No. 635,775. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JACOB F. GEB, of Franklin in the county of Norfolkand State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Card-Feeding Machines, of which the following is adescription sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable those skilledin the art to which it appertains or with which it is most nearlyconnected to make and use the same.

This invention has relation to the means in a card-feeding machine whichcontrol the movement or position of the stock or material on the feedapron or table after it is discharged from the scale and until it isreceived under the patter or paddle. The .pusher which moves the stockforward on the feedapron under the patter is operated by intermediatemechanism from the wheel or gear which aotuates the scale-dischargingmeans. The said intermediate mechanism consists of a pusher arm or leverpivoted on the frame of the machine at its lower end and connectedloosely in like manner with the pusher at its upper end. The said arm isactuated by means of a pusher-rod or pitman suitably connected at oneend therewith and pivoted at the other end upon awrist-pin on the gearbefore mentioned. pusher was operated or moved continuouslythat is tosay, there was no appreciable dwell at any point. limit of its movementit began its return. The result of this mode of operation has been toallow some of the stock moved up by the pusher to the patter at times tofall back on the table orfeed-apron when the pusher commenced to returnbefore the said stock was evenly taken by the patter, so that some stockof the prior scale discharge remained behind the patter or the apron atthe next succeeding discharge. Furthermore, it not infrequently happenedthat when the scale discharged the pusher had moved forward to someextent, so that some of the stock fell upon or behind the pusher.

It is the object of my invention to provide simple means whereby thepusher may be caused to dwell for a considerable time at both limits ofits movements, so as to avoid the objections and mischief mentioned.

To the foregoing ends my invention con- Under this construction the Assoon as it reached either' I sists in providing the pusher-bar or pitmanat one of its ends with a slot of requisite length, in which theconnecting-pin works, so that there will be lost motion in the meansoperating the said bar or in the bar acting upon the pusher, whereby thedwell at both extreme limits of movement of the pusher, as aforesaid, issecured, all as I will now proceed to describe andclaim.

Reference is to be had to the annexed drawings, and to the lettersmarked thereon, forming a part of this specification, the same lettersdesignating-the same parts or features, as the case may be, whereverthey occur.

Of the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of a card-feeding machineequipped with the usual mechanism so far as is necessary to a clearunderstanding of my invention. Fig. 2 is a view of a part of Fig. 1,showing the pusher and its actuating means in a diiferent position fromthat in which they are portrayed in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view of part ofthe opposite side of the machine from that shown in Fig. 1.

In the drawings, a designates the feed-box.

b and c are the spike-apron roll-shafts, connected and operated, the onefrom the other, through the medium of the vertical shaft 61.

e is a strap surrounding and actuated by an eccentric on the shaftd,which strap is pivotally connected at one end to a pitman f, the latterhaving an adjustable pivotal connection with the arm g of the patter orpaddle h, so as to operate the latter so as to cause it to pat andsmooth down the surface of the wool on the feed apron or table 1.

j is the gear, equipped with means forefiecting the discharge of thescale.

k is the change-gear, meshing with the gear j to regulate the speed atwhich the latter is driven. A wrist-pin Z on the gear j connects one endof the pusher-bar or pitman m therewith, the latter being adjustablyconnected at its opposite end to a rocker-block or swivel n, which is inturn adj ustably connected with the pusher-armo, secured at its lowerend to a rock-rod 1), journaled in the frame of the machine, the saidpusher-arm beingprovided at its upper end with a slot q.

r is the pusher, adapted to be moved to and fro on the feed apron ortable 2'. The pusher is provided at its opposite ends with pins 15 2f,

which extend through the slots U it, also on opposite sides ofthemachine, the former pinextending into the slot q of the arm 0 and thelatter extending into the slot g of the arm 0, secured at its lower endto the rock-rod p on the side of the machine opposite to that atwhichthe arm 0 is connected therewith, as is shown in Fig. 3.

With the construction just described it will be understood by thoseskilled in the art that the machine will have a mode of operation whichwill actuate the patter and pusher, so far as explained, in the usualmanner.

Coming now to the real improvements made by me, it is to be explainedthat the pusherbar m is provided in its rearward end with a slot '0,through which the wrist-pin Z extends, so that there is considerablelost motion in the operation of the pusher by the wrist-pin at bothextremities of the pushers movement, causing an appreciable dwell whenthe pusher is moved up to the patter, so that the stock shall becompletely taken by or fed under the patter before the pusher startsback, avoiding the falling back upon the feed table or apron of anyportion of the stock crowded forward by the pusher and causing anotherdwell when the pusher moves back, so that the discharge of stock fromthe scales may fall fully in front of the pusher, avoiding all of theobjections hereinbefore mentioned. It is to be noted that both ends ofthe pusher are moved in unison through the medium of the rock-shaft pand pusher-arms 0 o.

It is to be noted that with my improvements moves more quickly than itwould be moved under the said former constructions. This feature in themode of operation of my improvement has the advantage over the prior artin that the pusher is made to do its work completely and for anappreciable length of time remain back out of the way for the feed apronor table to receive in front of the pusher the full complement of stockdischarged from the scale.

Having thus explained the nature of the invention and described a way ofconstructing and using the same, though without attempting to set forthall of the forms in which it may be made or all of the modes of its use,it is declared that what is claimed is In a card-feedin g machine thecombination with the pusher and patter, of the wheel and its wrist-pin,the pusher bar or rod provided with the slot 1; in which the wrist-pinloosely operates with a lost-motion effect at both the extreme limits ofits movements, and operative connections, as set forth, between the saidrod. or bar and the pusher.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, this 30th day of April, A. D.1897.

JACOB F. GEE.

\Vitnesses:

- XVILLIAM A. SVYoKoFF, EDWARD II. SHERMAN.

